The present invention relates generally to a device for mounting an electrical appliance such as a television, radio, and the like to a surface such as a wall or ceiling. More specifically, the device relates to an improved device for mounting an arm, which further supports the appliance, to a wall or other surface.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,617 to Bergetz, mounting assemblies typically function by first securing the appliance to a support means which is attached to an arm which is, in turn, secured to a mounting means which has been attached to a surface. Generally, the arm first passes through a lower bracket and then an upper bracket. Once the arm passes through the upper bracket, the assembly must be suspended until a cotter pin is inserted through the arm or a flange is attached. The appliance and arm are then lowered until the pin or flange engages and comes to rest on the top bracket. This secures the entire assembly by preventing any further downward movement. The arm may also be fabricated from a pipe, which allows the entire assembly to pivot in a circular path.
Since the assembly must be suspended in an unlocked position, two persons are generally required to perform this task: one to hold the assembly in a suspended position, the other to insert the pin or attach the flange. By contrast, my invention simplifies the installation procedure by providing an arm that has a pre-attached stop. During installation, the arm is first inserted through an upper retainer and then the arm is lowered until the stop engages the lower retainer which prevents any further downward movement. By locating the locking function on the second retainer, the need to suspend the assembly before locking is eliminated, which makes the assembly of my invention by one person possible. My invention also reduces the cost of manufacture. By using fewer pieces in the mount's construction a savings in the amount of materials used and lower labor costs are realized.
Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a mount which includes an arm with a pre-attached stop that facilitates the ease of use and reduces the difficulty of locking the assembly to a mount. It is a further object of my invention to provide a mount which is more economical to manufacture.